New Android Smartphone Is Said to Favor Facebook — Facebook will introduce a special version of Google's Android software system next week that is modified to put the social network front and center on a smartphone. The software will debut on a handset made by HTC, said a Facebook employee who was briefed on the product.

OUYA available at retail on June 4 for $99 — The Android-powered $99 OUYA game console becomes available at retail on June 4th — a date which was revealed this week during the Game Developers Conference. OUYA's calling June 4th its “official launch date,” despite Kickstarter backers receiving units starting this month.

Bitcoin May Be the Global Economy's Last Safe Haven — One of the oddest bits of news to emerge from the economic collapse of Cyprus is a corresponding rise in the value of Bitcoin, the Internet's favorite, media-friendly, anarchist crypto-currency. In Spain, Google (GOOG) searches for “Bitcoin” and downloads of Bitcoin apps soared.

When Things Don't Work Out — I have said many times that early stage VC is a lot like baseball, if you get a hit one out of every three times, you are headed to the hall of fame. And if I look back over my career, and also over the track records of the firms and funds I have helped manage …

EBay Says It Is ‘Now Playing Offense’ — SAN JOSE, Calif.—EBay Inc. is aiming to nearly double the active-user count on its eBay.com marketplace over the next three years, as well as the volume of payments processed by its PayPal unit. — The once-beleaguered e-commerce company also forecast a big jump in revenue by 2015.